2018 Album Round-Up (Part 1)

WORDS: Joanne Gray

As of the time of writing, I'm about a month late for the official halfway point of the year because life has got in the way (as per). I thought I'd still do an album round-up for the year anyway, as I didn't have the time to write about these albums up until this point. So, what I've done is select the top 20 most prominent album releases for myself and have gave them a wee look at in chronological order from January up until the end of June. Warning: this isn't a 'best of' list so there definitely a few duds in here but I thought it would be fun to discuss them. And also, spoiler: the big rock trend of the year so far is a weird one but is personally one I'm very much on board with (🎷... Just saying).

1. Avatar- Avatar Country (12th Jan)

So to begin with is the seventh album from the Gothenberg groove/power metallers, Avatar. With their 2016 album 'Feathers & Flesh' pretty much passing me by, this is their first release since 2014's 'Hail The Apocalypse' that I've really paid much attention to of theirs. Stretching out their sense of theatre to the full, Avatar have pretty much moved away from the groove oriented metal that I've really liked from them, they've instead centred around a more power metal sort of concept. Creating the fictional land of 'Avatar Country', the album basically describes the life of the country's King. So much so that every song includes the word somewhere in its title. In terms of musical content, the album is decent enough even if it does tend to swing more towards the over the top style of power metal that is extremely marmite to most. There are some variations though which stops the album becoming stale after a song or two, such as the swing laden 'The King Welcomes You To Avatar Country' , which is probably the catchiest song on the album and retains that oddness that Avatar do well. 'King's Harvest' is more groove oriented but lacks the real hooks that would make it as good as some of their previous material. Other than these however, the rest of the album is sadly not that memorable and becomes a slog after the first 4 or 5 songs. Clocking in at a relatively short 43 minutes over 10 songs, the album still manages to feel like it's twice as long, particularly once the album reaches the last two instrumental tracks, which really don't feel like they contribute anything. Avatar have always been pretty good at establishing catchy hooks in their vocal melodies and rhythm sections, but the move away from groove has eradicated this, leaving behind a bloated and thoroughly uninteresting thematic concept. This is highlighted best with the 3 minute spoken track 'The King Speaks', where the King describes his mundane daily activities to an apparently rapturous crowd of peasants. This track is also over 3 minutes long too, which just adds to the sense of bloatedness throughout. I found it was also quite hard to actually hear most of the lyrics in the album too, which really didn't aid with the whole concept, which may have been better if I could get a better idea of what they were going for. Instead, there's just no real depth to justify this sort of concept in the first place. Even if you were to take this album as being entirely tongue in cheek, which it probably is, there's very little here to actually be engaging. It's not hard to feel like this album's weak concept was neither necessary, or wanted and just comes across as a bit self indulgent rather than creative. Sigh. Listen to 'Hail The Apocalypse' or 'Black Waltz' instead.

2. Cane Hill- Too Far Gone (19th Jan)

Having really enjoyed Cane Hill's debut EP and album a few years ago, I was looking forward to hearing their newest album. The band stand out in the Warped scene, as their brand of metalcore is a lot more influenced by 90s nu metal and alt rock than their contemporaries alongside them. This has (understandably) drawn critics towards the band who tend to describe previous material as a copy of nu-metal rather than creating something new with their influences. Their second album very much continues in this sort of style, with opening song 'Too Far Gone' not really straying from the low industrialised metalcore sound that they've established for themselves. It is still quite impressive just how intense this sounds at times, even if it is pretty derivative. This does happen with a few other songs on the album, such as 'It Follows' and 'Hateful' , which evoke so much of KoRn from the super low tuned guitar grooves in the verses to vocalist Elijah Witt's sounding almost identical to Jonathan Davis at times. Although there are some songs here that could accurately be described as just nu-metal rip offs however, Cane Hill have always had elements of alt rock within their music, and the combination of these two styles is more prominent in this album than before. This is best shown in the song 'Lord of Flies', where the verses have that familiar sense of industrial groove but this alongside a chorus which has a vocal delivery and melody which wouldn't sound out of place in a 'Dirt' era Alice In Chains song. The coexistence of these here is something which I really like. 'Singing In The Swamp' is another example, where the song is in equal parts industrially heavy and melodic, with the harmonised vocals in the chorus sounding surprisingly ambient alongside some really nice spacious guitar chords. 'Erased' and 'Why?' have a similar juxtaposition and are almost reminiscent of bands like Deftones when they dip into those experimental soundscapes that are really great. 'Scumbag' and '10 ¢' are two examples of songs on the album are which are just explicit ragers that show more than a little similarity to other metalcore and nu-metal bands, but are still decent none the less and have more bite than the vast majority of their contemporaries. The more laid back songs are the ones which I feel are the best on the album as a whole, however. Although the band are not the most original in the world, the marriage of dreary 90s alt, ambient melodies and crushing heaviness is one that I really enjoy and it seems like Cane Hill are continuing to improve at merging the styles together to make something more unique.

3. The Xcerts- Hold On To Your Heart (19th Jan)

Released on the same day as the Cane Hill album, the fourth album from The Xcerts could barely be any more different, even though they have similar 90s alt-rock influences. Having heard a few songs from the band and seeing them live a few years back, I thought they were a pretty decent grunge tinged rock band but not really anything more special than that. Fast forward to this year and the band have brought out an album that is very different and very difficult to ignore. Taking cues from the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty, this could only be described as a pop rock or a power pop album. Having been used to their more grunge leanings, this was very jarring for me when I first listened to the album. The production was too slick for my tastes and the vocals of Aberdonian vocalist Murray Macleod sounded slightly too Scottish for the extremely American sounding music they were making. When compared to other big Scottish bands, the sound was off and it just couldn't click with me that it was just so overwhelmingly sweet and poppy. I really didn't like this album when I first listened to it. Except for 'Drive Me Wild'... I'm a sucker for 80s music as a whole, and this song just evoked everything I love about cheesy pop rock from this period of time. It also had an utterly irresistible lead sax line (and so it begins 🎷) that could give 'Careless Whisper' a run for its money if it was released back then. Honestly, it is that good (go listen to it). Needless to say, this song was the one that I couldn't help but love from the album and I just had to go back and listen to it again and again. Give it a few months, repeated listens of more of the songs around it and seeing the band live during the summer, I've done the most dramatic of 180 degree turns on this album as a whole. Yes, this album is poppy as hell, but there are very few bands who can do pop rock like this nowadays. Songs like 'Daydream', 'Feels Like Falling In Love' and 'We Are Gonna Live' sound absolutely massive, and those choruses get stuck in your head for days on end. Piano  ballads 'The Dark', 'Show Me Beautiful' and 'Cry' also give a welcome respite to the overwhelming cheerfulness of the vast majority of this album, but are still equally as cheesy (for better or for worse). Overall, this album is insanely catchy, and if you can get over the wholesome poppy sheen of the album for today's standards and instead imagine that this was released back in the late 80s, it will make more sense and will stay with you for a long time. Since this album has 'clicked' with me, I haven't been able to stop listening to it. The power of the sax.

4. Machine Head- Catharsis (26th Jan)

Speaking of albums which have a completely different sound to their predecessor, we next have Machine Head's ninth album. Prior to its release, 'Catharsis' was already a controversial prospect, being described by frontman Rob Flynn as taking a more hip hop influenced direction, as well an N-bomb being dropped in the Celtic rock influenced single 'Bastards'. It's safe to say that 'Catharsis' was already battling against a tide of angry keyboard warriors who were ready to hate the album before it had even been released. After listening to the album several times however, there is not much here to get that angry about. Just sad. I'm not the most familiar with much of Machine Head's material, but even I know that this is an underwhelming (and sometimes embarrassing) listen. Opening track 'Volatile' introduces the album as something quite different from its more groove/thrash predecessor 'Blood & Diamonds', sounding like an early Slipknot knock-off but without the intensity or memorability that the former were so good at. The following song 'Catharsis' begins in a more melodic fashion before settling into a similar pattern as the song which came before it. This is a common theme throughout the album, which includes more clean vocals than anything I've heard from the band before. The stylistic change is a bit jarring, but is a step up from Flynn's harsh vocals throughout, which try a bit too hard sometimes. Instead of sounding authentically angry and edgy, it tends to sound more like the cookie monster, which is never good ('Kaleidoscope' is probably the best example of this, if you want to really cringe...). As a whole, it is indeed Flynn's vocals that are the worst part of this album rather than the instrumentation, which is decent enough in parts, albeit sounding like it all should have been written in 1999. Songs like 'Triple Beam' are just embarrassing to listen to, with Rob Flynn's attempt at warning at the dangerous lifestyle of drugs just sounding like every bad nu-metal cliche combined into one with some horrendously bad lyrics to match. This would've been bad enough if it had been released in the turn of the century but from a vocalist who in now in his fifties, it's painful to say the least. There are more than a few of these songs in the album. Enough so that 'Bastards' is a welcome break, even if it does sound like the weirdest Dropkick Murphys song ever written, N-bomb and all. And then the album proceeds to continue for an another 8 songs, of which they follow the predictable and boring format of the first few songs, the album feeling every second of its 74 minute duration as a result. This was so difficult to get through and, although I'm all for bands trying new things after being around for this long, this was a pretty huge misstep from the band. Saddest of all is the fact that those keyboard warriors were the most exciting thing about this album release. And they had a point...     

5. Marmozets- Knowing What You Know Now (26th Jan)

Released on the same day as the Machine Head album, it's safe to say that I focused on the Marmozets album instead. I did a review of this album a few weeks after it was released, making this section a lot easier, as my feelings towards the album haven't really changed all that much. Shameless plug ahead, but you can find it here if you want my take on it rather than having to write the same thing out again. If not, I'd still recommend at least a listen as they definitely demand to be checked out if you're into interesting music.

6. Nervus- Everything Dies (9th Mar)

February didn't bring anything that was of real interest to me, so it's onto March for Nervus' second album. Having discovered this band last year, I had no idea about this band until after 2016's 'Permanent Rainbow' had been released. This saw the indie-punk group crafting some nice but lyrically downtrodden songs about vocalist Em Foster's struggles with addiction and gender dysphoria. After I eventually listened to this, I was really interested as to  where this band would go next. What's immediately clear from opening track 'Congratulations' is the prominence of the piano, which was only audible in parts on their first album. The level of production is upped here as well, with an extra level of polish that really brings to the forefront the interplay between the four members. Particularly noticeable is the quality of Em's songwriting, which sits in a sweet spot of being deeply personal and vulnerable surrounding her aforementioned struggles, but also retaining a sarcastic sense of optimism throughout, which is infectious to listen to. This juxtaposition is continued with the musical side of this album which often contrasts jaunty guitar hooks and slightly off kilter piano lines with some massive choruses ('Nobody Loses All The Time', 'Sick Sad World', 'Hold Tight' and 'It Follows' being the best examples of this).That's not to say that the album stays in one place for too long though, with songs like 'Recycled Air', 'Medicine' and 'Fall Apart' slowing down the pace and using the piano as the lead instrument, while the guitars support with a more fuzzed up, shoegazey sound in the background. In terms of where Nervus take their influences, fingers could point to bands such as Jimmy Eat World or Alkaline Trio, but the sound is still too distinct from these sorts of bands. Instead, contemporary bands that they've toured with, such as Creeper, Milk Teeth and itoldyouiwouldeatyou have more in common with the DIY ethics and sound of the band, I feel. Overall, this is such an impressive album from Nervus, and a huge step up from their debut as the hooks are poppier, the lyrics are wittier and the contrasts are more pronounced. Listen to this band.

7. Rivers of Nihil- Where Owls Know My Name (16th Mar)

Similar to Nervus, I was pretty much unfamiliar with this band until I listened to their newest album. They were described to me as a death metal band who are doing interesting and progressive things with the genre and that is definitely what I found with this album. Opening with the eerie yet beautifully ambient 'Cancer/Moonspeak', the intro track begins with subtle clean guitars, strings and hushed vocals which is immediately different from most bands of this genre. Bringing in the feedback towards the end of the track, it seamlessly blends into 'The Silent Life' which is accompanied with blast beats, growls and locked in guitar grooves that are more familiar to this casual death metal listener. This sound doesn't stay for long however, as the heaviness is rolled back around the middle of the track, leaving behind an almost jazzy smooth feel where there is an actual saxophone lead line (2-0 🎷) and guitar solo, before the pace picks up again and the heaviness returns. In the hands of other bands, this sort of drastic style change within a song could sound tacky and gimmicky, but Rivers of Nihil make this combination sound perfectly natural. And that smooth sax sound is just wonderful. Obviously. This inginuitive sense of genre-blending is one which continues throughout the album, which is far too expansive to be described as simply a death metal album. 'Old Nothing' brings about a level of mechanical precision in its riffing that is quite comparable to the likes of Meshuggah. 'Subtle Change' has a keyboard solo sounds like it belongs on a 70s prog song, alongside another particularly epic sax solo and 'Terrestria III' is driven by gentle electronic drums and strings, making it sound like the soundtrack to the present day scenes in Assassin's Creed games (it was the best I could come up with...). Throughout the album, this creativity is always surrounded by crushing heaviness which still reminds you of where this band have come from. With the sonic landscape of this album never staying in one place for long, when those grooves lock up in that sort of way, it is totally irresistible. The sheer turns of pace, technical ability and innovation within this album evoke the likes of tech-metal legends Gojira without ever sounding ridiculous or outlandish. This album is both punishing and beautiful in equal measures, and is best enjoyed as a full body of work rather than a song here and there, just because of the trip the album takes. Epic is the real only word to describe this album and if you like bands like Gojira and Meshuggah, you really need to listen to this one. Stunning.

8. Gost- Possessor (23rd Mar)

Next up is Gost who I was also told to go listen to from various people. Described as being similar to darkwave acts like Perturbator but with an emphasis on vintage horror and the heavier end of music, I was immediately intrigued, as I've been getting more into darksynth material of late. I'm definitely less familiar with this sort of music as a whole though, so I'll keep this one short, as to not embarrass myself too much... 'Possessor' opens the album with news stories about Satanic acts, surrounded by eerie static sounds and a faint synthline which builds a genuinely creepy vibe for the album. This then leads into the super heavy 'Garruth' which has mammoth screams and distorted guitars which come flying out of the traps. This opening one two creates an atmosphere which melds retro John Carpenter-eque synths with darker metal and industrial influences, alongside a sense of pace that takes elements of modern electronic music to create a really quite danceable vibe at times ('The Prowler', '16 a.M' and 'Shiloh's Lament' are probably the best examples of this). As to be expected in this sort of music, most of the songs here are instrumentally driven and only really include processed sound snippets or a few screams across the album as a whole. 'Sigil' and 'Mulum' are the only two real instances of songs containing proper vocals in a more conventional sense, and both have slightly different influences as a result, evoking the likes of Killing Joke, Echo and the Bunnymen and Depeche Mode at their darkest. 'Sigil' is probably the most accessible song on the album because of the hooky synth lines and memorable vocal lines. Overall, the album sounds like a reimagining of a debuacherous 80s Satanic dance party which would appeal to those who are drawn to the spookier end of things, whether that be more electronically or metal influenced. I think that the combination of horror, metal, goth and synthwave is awesome, and is a better way to get into this sort of music than the likes of Perturbator, who I felt were missing that little bit of edge that makes Gost stand out.

9. Spanish Love Songs- Schmaltz (30th Mar)

Similar to the last two albums on this list, the third album from Spanish Love Songs was another recommendation which has stayed on my listening rotation since I first listened to it. Being described as a combination of The Wonder Years and The Menzingers, I was well into the sound of this band, and opening track 'Nuevo' shows the accuracy of that statement. The song begins with the vocalist looking to the past, professing his current feelings of inadequacy against a background of keyboard chords. This swells throughout the song, which builds up beautifully to a drum roll which brings in some really nice guitar flourishes. The song then picks up pace, leading directly into the second track 'Sequels, Remakes & Adaptations', which has a similar vibe to some of The Menzingers' more fast paced material. The Wonder Years' comparisons come in the form of lyrical honesty throughout the album, with the vocalist quite bluntly describing feelings of loneliness, depression and hopelessness with an earnestness that is hard not to understand or relate to in some way or another. All of this sounds like it would be a really downcast album but, like with the Nervus album, there is a sense of optimism that flows through the melodies of the band. The guitars' breezy pop punk leanings, the slightly poppy keyboard flairs and those vocal hooks prove to be both insanely catchy and addictive ('Sequels, Remakes, & Adaptations' and 'Buffalo Buffalo' in particular). Even the songs 'Otis/Carl' and 'Joana, in Five Acts', which describe explicit feelings of loss after death have a level of honesty and melody that make the songs seem like you can relate to the vocalist's experiences entirely, which is quite a skill. This level of earnestness is also something which may sound tacked on in the hands of other bands, but the level of self awareness from the vocalist in songs like 'The Boy Considers His Haircut', 'Beer & NyQuil' and 'It's Not Interesting' makes it clear that he knows how miserable he sounds to other people, and how he wishes that this could change. The final song 'Aloha to No One' perhaps highlights the overall vibe of the album most succinctly, that for the vocalist things could get better, but that's not a guarantee. Against that acoustic guitar, the singalong chorus is sonically comparable to The Wonder Years' 'Living Room Song', and retains some of that band's greatest ability to create wonderfully personal songs about maybe getting your life together. Fans of both pop punk and emo should really dig this album, but I find it difficult to think that these songs can't appeal to a larger audience here due to those massive hooks and authentic songwriting. 

10. The Wonder Years- Sister Cities (6th Apr)

Onto April and it's quite convenient that the next next band on the list is none other then The Wonder Years themselves. Onto album number six, the Philly emo/pop punk legends take a different approach to their previous albums here. 'Raining In Kyoto' describes vocalist Soupy's disillusionment when on tour in Japan, with a markedly darker tone to the instrumentation and vocal melodies to those in albums like 'The Greatest Generation' and 'Suburbia I've Given You All and Nothing'. No strangers to more downbeat music, as shown in their last album 'No Closer To Heaven', this still sounds quite different to anything the band has done so far, particularly in intensely gloomy sounding breakdown which ends the song. 'Pyramids of Salt' continues these feelings, opening with a minimalist electronic bass drones which accentuate the lyrics which are exceptionally downtrodden. Even when the chorus kicks in, which retains some of the typical singalong nature of The Wonder Years' best material, it's a pretty sombre sounding one which immediately rolls back to the subtler verses as soon as it's done. This sense of sombreness isn't present in all of the songs on the album, but it does have a pretty obvious presence throughout. Notable exceptions to this are 'It Must Get Lonely', 'The Orange Grove' and 'Sister Cities', which incorporate more of the pop punk tinged melodies which the band are so good at and are some of the best songs on the album as result. Much of the material which follows these songs tends to lose my interest, as they fall into a similar pattern whereby the restrained and ambiently sad verses tease a big chorus which are very rarely delivered in the end. Closing track 'The Ocean Grew Hands to Hold Me' is the best example of a song where I felt frustrated when waiting for a big build, which does surface several times, only for the pinnacle of the builds not living up to my expectations when they finally get there. What's important to note is that this album is not just sonically different from what the band have done before, but lyrically  as well. Soupy tends to look more outwards at the world and its connections between places as a whole, compared to the inward localised reflections he's famous for. This concept of 'Sister Cities' is one which I thought would be more interesting on record but in the end, I think that Soupy writes best when he's directly describing situations he's directly associated with, a la 'The Greatest Generation' or 'No Closer To Heaven'. It's not that I think this is a bad album but when compared against the best in The Wonder Years' back catalogue, I can't help but feel that there is very little to grab onto here. I ended up finding it quite difficult not to tune out when listening to the album and I can't help but feel a bit sad that I've enjoyed the Spanish Love Songs album a hell of a lot more than this one, when they've been so crucial to establishing that sound in the first place.

11. Black Stone Cherry- Family Tree (20th Apr)

Next up is a band who have been one of my favourites for the time I've liked rock music, being the first band I've had the pleasure of seeing live. Onto their sixth album now, the Kentucky southern rockers have decided to (literally and metaphorically) go back to their roots here. As well as recording and self-producing the album in their hometown, the band have also returned to their bluesy southern roots, following a blues covers release last year. The opening two tracks of 'Bad Habit' and 'Burnin' have the band treading familiar territory, from the delivery of those southern fried guitar and bass lines to the massive choruses which would sound at home on their colossal second album 'Folklore and Superstition'. These are arena ready songs made for a band who have worked their way up to that level when touring the UK. Having seen them live over the summer, they both sound great in the live environment as well. 'New Kinda Feelin' bops along with an opening guitar line that just screams AC/DC and ZZ Top tinged rock n' roll, which is exaggerated by the vintage keys sprinkled on top (also seen in later track 'Ain't Nobody'). As is customary for a band like Black Stone Cherry, they don't tend to stray too far from what they do musically, but there is still enough variation here to point out. Most notable is the swing infused ballad 'My Last Breath' about singer Chris Robertson's wife and child, which has enough soul and vocal ability from Robertson to carry it well rather than make it sound overly cheesy. Songs like 'Southern Fried Friday Night', 'You Got The Blues' and 'James Brown' (following some interesting woahs) are particularly groovy. This quality is one where Black Stone Cherry are so enjoyable to listen to when they lock into those bluesy rhythms. 'Dancin' In The Rain's' inclusion of Warren Haynes provides some really nice interplay between the two vocal styles here as well, even if the song is a little lackluster on the hook side of things. If I'm honest, I find that there's a few other songs on here which fit into this category towards the end of the album ('I Need A Woman' and 'Get Me Over You' in particular), but I don't really see this as an earth shattering travesty for this album. When compared to the last few releases, any lack of massive choruses is made up for by the fact that the band sound like they are having an authentically good time making it, rather gearing their sound towards radio play or battling some tough times. Besides, they only need a few more massive songs in each album to add to their roster at this point. This album won't convince people who don't like BSC but it most certainly won't be a disappointment to any BSC fan either. Solid.

12. A Perfect Circle- Eat The Elephant (20th Apr)

Up next is the fourth album from rock supergroup A Perfect Circle and their first release in fourteen years, making it a huge deal for those who are into Maynard James Keenan's work. I'll be up front about the fact that I've never got into Tool or Keenan generally and although I've tried a fair bit, I've just never being able to get into their weird expansive sound or Keenan's vocal style (I think it's Guitar Hero's fault...). I thought I'd give the APC album a go however, due to the hype and the fact that this band always seemed that little bit easier to listen to than Tool. The first track 'Eat The Elephant' makes it immediately obvious that this is not going to be a 'normal' or particularly straightforward rock album however. The song is very mellow and laidback, driven largely by a piano, drums and Keenan's vocals, which are equally as gentle. This vibe is very prominent throughout the album, with very few songs relying on distorted guitars or harsh vocals too much, instead using different instruments in a more experimental way. 'The Contrarian' uses what I think is a harp, and other strings and horns to gives the track a weird kind of Middle Age sound. When combined with some odd vocal harmonies, the track exerts a level of unease that matches its lyrics. 'The Doomed' switches between a large orchestral sound which uses horns, sweeping guitars and drums with a gentleness that is accompanied by piano and a xylophone. Other notable examples are the entirely instrumental track 'DLB' which is contrasted with an electronically driven and synthetic sounding 'Hourglass'. Keenan's vocals here are modified to dramatic levels of robotic, which is more than a little disorienting. 'Get The Lead Out' also uses electronics, but in a more subtle sort of way, giving the track more of an R n' B feel with more low end effect driven vocals in the background. 'So Long, And Thanks For All The Fish' is the lead single from the album and although it uses a similar array of contrasting soundscapes, it is probably the most conventional song here. Lyrically as well as musically, the song sums up much of the album's themes of disillusionment about a modern way of living focused on technology and consumer/celebrity culture. As a whole, this was definitely an interesting listen due to the different places the band go and the intelligent lyrics which accompany it. I did find myself zoning out after a while though, preferring to have the album playing in the background rather than it be at the centre of my attention. It might just be a case of 'It's not you, it's me' with APC which extends back from my previous ambivalence towards Tool, but overall this just isn't really an album which has grabbed me in the way that it has done for other people. If you like Tool or any of the other APC material however, I can't really see why you wouldn't like this album. Even if it is quite different from their previous releases, it's definitely worth checking out. 

13. Cancer Bats- The Spark That Moves (24th Apr)

Onto something which is a bit more straightforward in terms of its sound: the sixth album from the Toronto metal-punks Cancer Bats. The album follows on from 2015's 'Searching For Zero', which saw the band going into more varied sonic territories which utilised more raw production techniques but didn't seem to resonate much with listeners at the time. The decision to drop this album out of the blue without any prior warning was therefore one which was pretty risky. It payed off though, because the album is a return to what Cancer Bats do best: ferocious riffs and grooves.'Gatekeeper' begins proceedings with a super groovy heavy riff before quickening the pace for a chorus which is bound to have crowds bouncing along to live. 'Brightest Day' then shows how good the band are when they go full throttle, simply roaring from the get go with true punk energy. This great recurring bouncy riff with squealing pinched harmonics enters which is really satisfying to listen to. The first two songs here really bring a sense of fun back to the band which was generally missing from the last album. They also set the foundation for the rest of the album, which often seamlessly switches from uptempo ragers to killer sludgy headbanging riffs throughout. That is not to say that they're short of catchiness at all though, as there are slogans and hooks plastered all over the album. From the southern drawl of the 'constellations' break in 'We Run Free', to 'Space and Time's chorus, to 'Bed of Nails': 'Before we die, we'll live forever' hook, there's countless instances where something will get hammered into your brain and stay there for a good while. As is also often customary with Cancer Bats, the songs never outstay their welcome, with the album being only 34 minutes long. That the songs never truly exceed the 3 minute mark gives you just enough time to absorb a song before it moves on to something else. This only encourages you to go back and listen to the album from the start again once 'Winterpeg' ends rather than feeling like there needs to be more material, as the stuff here is so rip-roaring. Yeah, the album is nothing groundbreaking for the band, particularly when compared to their more experimental predecessor, but it's all for the better as Cancer Bats are too good at what they do well: party ready headbangers which will sound killer live. 'That was the vibe' is a solid assessment of this album ('We Run Free').

14. Skindred- Big Tings (27th Apr)

Continuing with the party band vibe brings the seventh album from the ragga-metal pioneers Skindred. Following up 2015's heavier sounding 'Volume' and the departure of Dan Sturgess, who was in charge of the electronic sound which has been prominent since 'Union Black', it was interesting to see where the band would go musically. 'Big Tings' starts off the album with a mid tempo electronic drum beat and a super fuzzy guitar tone which is a bit of a departure from the high energy tracks that tend to open Skindred albums. The song very much stays in the same places throughout, evoking garage rock guitar tones, particularly in the short and minimalistic octave pedal driven solo. As well as this, the song delivers a particularly mainstream sounding chorus which starts to suggest the sorts of influences for Skindred this time around. 'That's My Jam' has an undeniable party rock feel, with a sense of swing in the instrumental delivery that is insanely danceable. That vocal hook in the chorus is far far too catchy. This was the song that stuck with me for the longest time afterwards. 'Machine' follows this up with a greater sense of pace and urgency but the classic rock vibes continue throughout, from the use of handclaps to the 'Rock n' Roll, save my soul' singalong section in the last third. From this point on, the song is reminiscent of one of Airbourne's faster songs, with a pretty cool guitar solo to match. This song will be the one to really kick things off in the live environment. And with that, these are probably the three most memorable songs on the album. 'Last Chance' starts a lackluster sequence of songs which are pretty forgettable. Sounding like Skindred's version of Royal Blood but without their big choruses, the odd rap cameo just sounds out of place for me and the song is just underwhelming as a whole. 'Tell Me' then feels like Skindred attempting to do a- for lack of a better description- power ballad, which never really builds to anything or has the hooks to remember it afterwards. 'Loud and Clear', 'Alive' and 'Broken Glass' are slight improvements, with Benji Webbe's vocals exuding that more reggae influenced sound that brings such life to their music. Again, the choruses never really deliver however, and the less heavy tone of the instruments surrounding the vocals further weakens the songs, in my opinion. 'All This Time' suffers from the same issues, and although there is a pretty impressive sounding breakdown towards the end of the song, it's not really enough to save it. Ending the album is then a reworked acoustic version of 'Saying It Now' from 'Volume' which is a nice version of the song but it is still a bit of an odd inclusion considering it isn't a new track. It doesn't really fit with the vibe of the rest of the album either. It does suggest to me that the band may have just needed another track to stick in at the end, which embodies what is wrong with this record: there just isn't enough here. In changing up their sound to a more accessible sort of garage/rock n'roll vibe, a lot of Skindred's eccentricities and vibrancies and vitality are lost here. Although the album isn't terrible, I would only really go back to a small handful of the songs here and the rest I could give or take. I really hope that Skindred haven't lost their fire here, as they are just one of the best bands when they're on it. 

15. Parkway Drive- Reverence (4th May)

Into May and over to the other side of the world, is the sixth album from Australia's finest metalcore band: Parkway Drive. Following on from 2015's Ire which moved the band towards a more arena friendly sound, this album goes in a slightly different direction again. Vocalist Winston McCall has spoken in interviews about the level of grief within the band in the last few years, due to a series of deaths they've experienced. This motif is one which is weaved through the album, which questions aspects of life, death, religion and society at various points. 'Wishing Wells' begins in a style which is reminiscent to King 810, with a solitary acoustic guitar and McCall's vocals which are half sung, half whispered, all surrounded by sounds of crows and hushing winds. After maintaining this eerie tone for around a minute, the rest of the band kicks in a wall of heavy, chorus effect laden guitars which settle into a rhythm which is more familiar to metalcore fans. Next up is 'Prey' which is more conventionally hook and melody driven for Parkway Drive, particularly when compared to the likes of 'Vice Grip' from their previous album. This song is colossal and will probably be a stand out track of theirs live as that chorus is so anthemic. 'Absolute Power' then hints at how varied this album will get, with an opening bass line and guitar riff which just screams out Pantera and this groove returns throughout the chorus. This sounds great every time. Next, the band goes in a different direction again with 'Cemetery Bloom' which begins with a softly pulsing synth line and vocals before the backing vocals drop in, replicating the sounds of a church choir. Slowly building throughout, a simple but effective guitar line is accompanied by the sound of strings and soft drums, which eventually becomes absolutely huge by the end of the track. This track is perhaps the best song on the album at hinting towards the spiritual themes throughout, as it sounds so poignantly ethereal and it never fails to give me chills as. This all leads seamlessly into 'The Void', which manages to combine Parkway Drive's ear for a massive melodic chorus with a 4/4 stomp that Metallica would be proud of. 'I Hope You Rot' then follows suit but ups the pace, bringing those choir vocals in during the verses and a similarly groovy breakdown towards the end of the song. Both of these songs are winners for me. 'Shadow Boxing' starts off equally promising, with McCall's clean vocals providing a nice contrast to what has came before it. But then he decides to rap... More in the style of Linkin Park than anything else, this one is not so much a winner. This can't completely wreck the song though, particularly when the huge riff comes in alongside the epic strings towards the end. Onto a different tact again, the way 'In Blood'  begins makes me think of a Motionless In White song with the way the high end guitar leads tinkle over that very typical industrial rhythm of theirs. This comparison lessens as the song progresses, it still contains a lot of elements that most metalcore bands tend to utilise often. This is probably the weakest song on the album for me, as it comes across a tad generic when compared against what has come before it. 'Chronos' quickly ups the game however, beginning with the wah drenched guitar intro that leads into really infectious grooves as well the massive chorus and dual guitar lines that they excel at. Then in a similar vein to the opening track, 'The Colour of Leaving' is a more sombre return to the whooshing wind and clean guitar sounds, backed up with the ochestral strings which have been ever present throughout the album. It then all rolls back, leaving McCall half singing, half speaking, questioning the nature of death before walking away. Honestly, I've always been more of a casual Parkway Drive listener but this album has truly floored me and it's the first one of theirs that the music and lyrics have demanded that I properly give it all my attention. The quality and variety of the songs here are astounding for a band who originated within the metalcore scene, but they sound all the better for expanding their horizons. This band have created a stunning album and deserve all the plaudits they've been due for a good few years now. A definite album of the year contender at this point, for sure.

16. Five Finger Death Punch- Justice For None (18th May)

And back down to earth with a thud with Five Finger Death Punch's seventh album, whose release is quite an achievement in itself considering frontman Ivan Moody's deteriorating mental state in the latter half of 2017. Having walked off stage several times during shows, 'quitting' the band and checking himself into rehab, it is really a surprise that the band is still together at this point. Although the band have always been lyrically confrontational in nature, it's difficult not to feel that opening track 'Fake' isn't a direct attempt by Moody to call out people who have criticised him. More direct references to the media and 'posers' exist all the way throughout the album, from the 4/4 cocksure romps of 'Top of the World' and 'It Doesn't Matter' to the Pantera groove infused defiance of 'Rock Bottom'. 'Sham Pain' is by far the stand out track when it comes to these heavier ones, managing to maintain that meld of thrash influence (or rip off, depending on who you ask) with that more hip hop swagger that's present on songs like 'American Capitalism'. It's this tried and tested formula of combining verses filled with attitude with an arena ready chorus that ensures that this one will be embraced by fans. Like other bands of their ilk, the other half of FFDP's appeal comes in their softer material where Moody looks inwards towards his issues rather than outwards ('I Refuse', 'When The Seasons Change', 'Stuck In My Ways' and 'Gone Away'. And so the list goes on...). 'Blue on Black' is probably the only song here which provides something new from the band, bringing a more Cash influenced country swing to proceedings. A welcome but wholely subtle change from the rest. It's not enough to make a drastic difference to the sameness of this album as a whole but isn't that to be expected from FFDP? Even as someone who has a ashamedly soft spot for this band (particularly more in the past, since the songs were a little bit fresher), they are one of the least original bands in the world and this doesn't change here. If you like FFDP, you'll like this one, if you don't, it won't change your mind. And it was probably unnecessary to point that out but I had to drag this review out somehow... 

17. Biffy Clyro- MTV Unplugged (25th May)

Now for a band which are a great deal more interesting to talk about and who I unashamedly have a soft spot for. With the return of the MTV Unplugged series, Biffy were (I believe) the first UK act to be offered to do an Unplugged set. Although this isn't a studio album, it has definitely been a huge album for me personally so that's why it's here. That and the ways in which the band reinvent their songs for the Unplugged and the whole atmosphere of the recording is pretty special in itself. Walking out to the ever present 'Mon the Biff' chant from the audience, the band go straight into a stripped back version of 'The Captain' which retains the jaunty upbeat feel of the original with the crowd singing pretty loudly along with it for an Unplugged show. 'Biblical' becomes a slightly more subdued version of its original, with an acoustic piano replacing those prominent synth lines. Frontman Simon Neil then proceeds to mess around with the guitar line towards the end of the song, before rejecting a call from a member of audience to play the Infinity Land headache 'There's No Such Thing as a Jaggy Snake' in a typically Biffy way before launching into the less quirky 'Rearrange'. As the song was originally an acoustic number, it is perfectly well suited to the set, but I find that it would've been more interesting for the band to pick something else as I'm not the biggest fan of it generally. 'Drop It' sounds better though, with its harmonica driven simplicity sounding lovely when played live. 'Black Chandelier' is then reworked from its stadium sized form, leaving the piano and audience to drive the choruses in a way which sounds more subdued than the original. 'Folding Stars' is one that is very well suited to the acoustic environment, and the addition of xylophone to mimic the guitars which are normally sprinkled on top, the song makes this solo effort a deeply personal one. Next up is the only new song from the band, presumably taken from the upcoming film score Biffy are working on. 'Different Kind of Love' is a chirpy tune with an almost folk rock feel that has a really nice sense of melody and catchy chorus. All the fuzzy feels there. Speaking of fuzzy feels, 'Mountains' is up next. Mellowing out the off kilter stadium sound once again, the song starts off softly, with only the piano and light drums supporting the vocals before gradually building to include guitars and strings with more gusto. By the time it ends, the song manages to replicate some of that sense of euphoria that comes with watching the normal version live. Really nice. In typical MTV Unplugged fashion, Biffy then whip out a cover of another band with 'God Only Knows' by The Beach Boys. Although Neil struggles a bit with the almost falsetto vocals, it is an endearing effort as the song is clearly one that means a lot to him. 'Opposite' then retains much of the orchestral feel that the original has, and I actually think it ends up sounding more powerful than the normal version, particularly when Neil's vocals go that bit higher towards the end. 'Small Wishes' is probably the weirdest song to be included in the set. Even though it practically the same as its original form, the quirky wild west song benefits from the crowd enthusiasm (and participating in the odd wolf howls). Next is one of the highlights of the set: 'Bubbles', which takes a more up tempo approach to the song which sounds just as epic here as it normally does live. Serious chills when that chorus kicks in. Apparently the track here was also the second take, as the audience were so raucous the first time round, they put the band out of time. Nice. 'Medicine' dials things down again, remaining pretty loyal to the original but adding that extra depth with the piano and rawer live vocals. For the penultimate track comes the highlight of the set which is filled with many great moments. 'Many of Horror' is an utterly irresistible live song at the best of times, but in this acoustic environment, there is a real sense of emotion that is tangible between the band and the audience which is truly a joy to listen to and sounds just as huge in this format. This is all topped off at then end when the band thanks the audience and they start the 'Mon The Biff' chant again. Beautiful. The band then finish off with usual set closer 'Machines'. This song tugs at the heartstrings normally when Neil plays it by himself, but the addition of strings and xylophone is even more bittersweet. Serious chills when the crowd starts singing the 'take the pieces' part. Bits. And then that's that the set done. Honestly, I'm so happy that MTV asked Biffy to do this set as it just showcases how special they really are. I'm definitely biased, but I think this Unplugged sits up there with some of the best. Absolutely cannot wait to see them do this set later in the year. 

18. Ghost- Prequelle (1st Jun)

Building up levels of anticipation for this album, Ghost had been releasing a series of videos that hinted towards a slightly different direction for the band. In true fashion for the band, there's a new persona behind the vocals for this one. 'Papa' is gone and has been replaced by 'Cardinal Copa' (in other words, an unmasked Tobias Forge). I can't help but feel that this move is in direct response to the court case involving Forge and previous members of the band which meant that Forge had to step out of anonymity. There's traces of this legal case sprinkled throughout the album in terms of its lyrical output, but 'Ashes' points towards the real main concept of the album: the Black Death. Starting with an eerie sounding version of 'Ring o' Roses' by some children, this then ends with some creepy sounding fuzzed up synths and massive drums. This leads nicely into 'Rats', which has a huge 80's metal sound. The guitar and drum tone here wouldn't sound out of place on an Ozzy Osbourne track, for example. Forge's vocals are unashamedly poppy throughout, which is not anything new for Ghost but that chorus points to a new level of catchy that the band are going for. This is only beaten by the other single on the album 'Dance Macarbe', which is about as close to a pop song that Ghost have produced, combining a 70s disco infused dancy beat with production values of an 80s pop rock banger. This song is insanely catchy, and refuses to leave your head for a long time. Massive. Although they embrace this level of pop in their music however, the vibe of the occult is always present in their music which always keeps the band in metal territory. This is most noticeable in songs like 'Faith' and 'Witch Image'. The former bring a sense of menace with the slightly harsher vocal delivery and doomier stomping guitar riffs that are prominent in their earlier albums. This one is probably the heaviest song on the album. The latter discusses 'rotting flesh' in such a really joyous way. Usual. 'See The Light' manages to retain some of this menace in the lyrics rather than the musicality, as it is essentially a ballad driven by that grand piano/organ sound that Ghost use in a lot of their softer material. It's definitely hard not to associate the line 'Every day that you feed me with hate, I grow stronger' with what has went on between Forge and the ex-band members, even when it is wrapped inside the album's imagery. Other 'softer' material in the album includes the likes of 'Miasma': a totally instrumental epic sounding track which includes some killer synth and guitar solos, as well as a hilarious but amazing sax solo starting at 4:20 (yeah, I know... 🎷). 'Pro Memoria' is another piano driven ballad that is nice enough to listen to but is brought down by the lyrics of the chorus which manage to make me cringe a little, even when coming from a band as ridiculous as Ghost. 'Helvetesfonster' is another instrumental track that incorporates a whole bunch of different medieval sounding instruments throughout, which really brings back the context of the album rather than being an amazing standalone track. 'Life Eternal' ends the album with a pretty huge equivalent of a Ghost power ballad, beginning with that familiar piano tone which swells with added synths and a nice chorus effect before the addition of huge guitar and drums, a key change and a descending chord section which really throws back to the early 90's. Think Ghost attempting a slightly less epic version of 'November Rain' and that's pretty much what you have here. Overall, this album is such a blast to listen to, even if the energy and song quality dips a bit for me personally towards the end of the album. I love Ghost anyway but this move towards a more 80s influenced sound is one which really suits me and I think this direction will be beneficial for the band in the long run. Really hoping they can make it big in the near future cause those choruses are just sublime.

19. Zeal & Ardor- Stranger Fruit (8th Jun)

Even when looking at some of the albums on list, I don't think it would be a stretch to say that the next one comes from a band that is probably the most unusual of them all. The second album from Zeal & Ardor continues in the vein of the 2016 debut. which mixed elements of black metal with 'slave' music. Where the first album was a solo project by Manual Gagneux, who got the idea from 4chan, this one saw the formation of a band that has made the venture a more cohesive prospect. Beginning with some soulful humming by Gagneux and steady rhythmic beats which replicate the 'chaingang' element of the first album, 'Intro' brings in some heavy blast beats and oppressive guitar noise which then drops back off again towards the end. This leads into 'Gravedigger's Chant' which uses the format of sinister chanting which was used extensively in the first album. Gagneux has a real skill at being able to make a line like 'Bring the dead body down to the graveyard' sound super soulful and catchy while still sounding sinister. This song hits a particularly sweet spot when the chant is sung over a gospel-eque choir with piano and feedback infused guitars around the middle of the song. All of this is done with a level of polish that didn't exist on the first album, which really makes those melodies pop even more. Those hooks are something that are plastered all over this album, with songs like 'Don't You Dare', 'Ship On Fire' and 'Built On Ashes' being particularly good examples of melodies that don't leave your head. That doesn't mean that the heavy side of this album is toned down by any means though, instead hitting that bit harder when put up against those melodies. 'Servants' is the first example of this, where Gagneux's powerful high pitched screams combine with a looming dark guitar and bass tone in a really effective way. 'Don't You Dare's distant sounding opening guitar line oddly resembles a darker version of Limp Bizkit's 'Take a Look Around' before building up in intensity with shrieking vocals and a black-metal esque pace that sounds utterly demonic. 'Fire of Motion', 'Row Row' and 'Waste' likewise follow a similar template. Perhaps more interesting than these songs though, are the ones which take a more experiment approach. 'We Can't Be Found' starts off with that contrast between extreme metal and gospel hooks but then moves into a more groovy bass driven territory before ending with almost djenty rhythms and squealing guitar feedback. 'You Aint Coming Back'  almost sounds like a contemporary soul song by comparison, with a level of polish that would almost make the song acceptable on mainstream radio. Gagneux really shows off his vocal ability in this one. 'Stranger Fruit' includes an ominous sounding piano which sounds really dissonant against eerie sounding backing vocals. The song lacks any kind of real chorus or hooks but it is certainly an interesting if unsettling listen.'Coagula' is driven by Latin gregorian chants, which in the context of this album and up against some pulsing guitars, bass and a touch of odd synth sounds, make this an equally unsettling listen. There are a few instrumental tracks on here such as 'The Hermit', 'The Fool' and 'Solve' which could be described as ambient, which have extensive use of chilled out chimes and synths similar to the lullaby-esque songs on their debut. When up against the rest of the songs, these almost seem out of place here, and in my opinion, they weren't really necessary. This brings about my only really criticism of the album in that there is a fair bit of trimming down which could have been done here. Clocking in at 16 songs, the album does lose a bit of momentum in between some of the songs here. The instrumental tracks didn't feel necessary, and I think that some of the other more black metal sounding tracks could have possibly been condensed as I find these to be personally less interesting than the gospel centric ones. Overall though, this album is still a success and a step up from their debut, in that the increased level of polish making the band sound more cohesive and melodic. The combination of soulful gospel with darker tinged metal is still one of the most unique and impressive prospects in music right now. Definitely listen to this one.

20. Bullet For My Valentine- Gravity (29th Jun)

Onto the final album from a band that I used to have close to my heart back in the day. After the release of the incredibly mediocre Temper Temper back in 2014, it's safe to say that BFMV have been in rocky territory for a lot of people who were fans of their earlier albums (myself included). Although their last album Venom was a bit of a step up, it would take another decent release to bring trust back for me. Sadly, they've screwed it up yet again. From the colourful artwork to the first few singles releases, it was immediately clear that the band were going in a very different direction. 'Over It'  was the first of these, and although I think it is the best out of the three, it's still incredibly lackluster for me. The production on the song waters down the guitars a lot, which are pretty unremarkable anyway, which leaves Matt Tuck's vocals as the main focal point. Let's be honest, his lyrics have never been amazing, but without the usual level of musical ability from guitarist Padge, this is pretty average effort. 'Piece of Me' is another cringey piece of songwriting from Tuck with a similar level of overproduction that removes much of the heaviness. Not even a semi-decent screamed breakdown towards the end can redeem this. Both of these somehow are still drastically better than the third single 'Letting You Go' however, which sees Bullet attempt balladry. The electronics at the start of the song sound incredibly dated for today's standards, and the jump to the choppy synthetic sounding chorus sounds forced and robotic. This attempt at making more contemporary sounding music is something which runs through the album. In 'Leap Of Faith', the lingering synth sounds and equally manufactured sounding vocals takes away any real impact that the otherwise decent chorus would've had otherwise. The implementation of minimalistic keyboard and slightly shouted chorus vocals in 'Not Dead Yet' sound like a pretty obvious attempt to copy the Bring Me The Horizon style of music that they've had on the last few albums. I'm not a fan of this anyway but Bullet somehow make it sound worse. 'The Very Last Time' is a shockingly bad ballad with that ever present minimalistic RnB sound that is everywhere in pop music at the moment. Even the orchestral sounding strings can't make this song sound authentic in its attempt at emotional delivery. 'Under Again' takes the formula of 'Over It' but removes even more of the already minimal levels of heaviness present in the album. Incredible in its beigeness. Honestly, I don't even know what I can say about 'Gravity', 'Coma' or 'Breathe Underwater' that I haven't already mentioned, as none of these are memorable in the slightest. Sigh. Even the one truly decent song 'Don't Need You', which is by far the heaviest and interesting thing on here, is one which was released as a standalone single two years ago. It's been polished to better fit on the album where it still just sounds out of place and tacked on. This was a tiresome dirge of an album to get through, which just makes me sad that a band I used to love have sunk so low. From the one sided creation of this album (this is essentially a Matt Tuck solo effort from what I've read), to the almost total eradication of guitar solos, to the terrible attempt at trying to make contemporary music in a way that makes it sound out dated, it's hard to think that this band can continue for much longer. It makes Temper Temper seem like a masterpiece, and that's quite an achievement in itself. Bye bye Bullet, I'm out.

And that's that. As is perhaps evident, 2018 so far has been incredibly mixed for myself so far due to a whole bunch of bands trying their hand at something new. Although this doesn't work at least as much as it does really succeed, I'm pretty glad that bands aren't sticking at the same formulas that have worked from them in the past. I'm hoping that this continues throughout the year, as I've already found some killer albums that have really made an impact already. Also, the trend of sax in rock music is by far the best thing to happen this year for a totally 80s nerd like me. I'm all for that trend continuing through the year 🎷.